#2 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Tool

Fear Inoculum by Tool

There’s nothing like the unexpected. I didn’t expect to be hearing a new Tool album in 2019, and I bet most if not all of you who’ve been following the Top 31 didn’t expect to see Tool on the Top 31, especially this high up in the ranking. And yet.

Fear Inoculum, the fifth record from these prog-rock metal masters, came out at the end of August, to my absolute surprise and delight. Tool released their first album, the nearly triple-platinum selling Undertow way back in 1993 (my freshman year of college). That’s 27 years ago. They followed that up with my favorite Tool album, Ænima, in 1996. Then Lateralus in 2001, and finally 10,000 Days in 2006. I say “finally” for the 2006 album, because nothing came after it for so long.

According to Wikipedia), the band never officially broke up after that 2006 album, but it sure felt like it to me. Their music wasn’t on streaming media, so the only way you could acquire it in the interim was through physical media or illegal download (or potentially “illegal,” or at least “unofficial,” vinyl purchases, which I did by mistake, twice). 13 years, four multi-platinum albums. Then nothing until August 1, 2019, when the band suddenly released their entire catalog on streaming sites (and consequently set a bunch of online download records), along with a new single. Called “Fear Inoculum,” the new single was 10+ minutes long, and consequently set a record itself for longest song ever to appear on the Billboard Top 100. All of a sudden we were swimming in Tool again, seemingly out of nowhere.

The full Fear Inoculum album came out at the end of that month, on August 29, 2019, a full 13 years and 110 days since their previous release. Just to drive the point home, that’s 13 years to make four albums, then another 13 years to make the fifth. And oh was it worth the wait.

Fear Inoculum, in its full digital form, is 86 minutes and 38 seconds of pure, heavy prog-rock bliss (if you buy the physical form of the album, you’re limited to the limitations of the form, consequently get a shorter album, at 79 minutes and 10 seconds, and find that three instrumental interludes have been removed). The album is 100% predictable Tool: it’s loud, guitar and drum heavy, set in a myriad of difficult-to-headbang time signatures, and all capped off by lead singer Maynard James Keenan’s maniacal ramblings. And it’s glorious.

Tool is definitely not for everyone. But if the multi-platinum sales didn’t tell you, I will: the band’s music is definitely for a lot more people than you might otherwise think. They live outside of the smaller confines of any one genre because they cross over so many. The Grammys keep filing them as “metal” (they’ve won four Grammys, most recently for “Best Metal Performance” for the 15+ minute song “7empest” from Inoculum). But “art rock,” “progressive rock,” and “alternative” genres all come with their own fan bases, and they all include Tool squarely in the middle of their boundaries.

While Keenan stands as the crazy, wine-making, child-brained front man of the band, it‘s the drums of Danny Carey and guitars of Adam Jones that really carries the band to greatness. Along with bassist Justin Chancellor, the three of them create the meandering, multi-dimensional music that is “Tool” all the way to the finish line before finally involving Keenan (who is known to be a complete diva) to write lyrics and sing on top. For 26 years now, the band has honed a sound that is unlike anything else out there, and it is perfect.

If you missed the original Tool train, and are only just now discovering them for the first time, then Fear Inoculum is a perfectly fine place to dive in. But if you’re a longtime fan, like me, then Inoculum is going to be so much more. Tool has managed to climb back to the top of the pack, and I can only hope they’re here to stay for another 13 years into the future. Maybe by then they’ll have created a proper video for this album (sorry for the stupid audio-only video above).

__________________________________________

3. Father of the Bride by Vampire Weekend
4. Two Hands + U.F.O.F. by Big Thief
5. Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten
6. I Am Easy to Find by The National
7. 5 + 7 by Sault
8. Giants of All Sizes by Elbow
9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#3 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Vampire Weekend

Father of the Bride by Vampire Weekend

When I first heard Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend’s fourth album, I wasn’t into it. Rostam (Batmanglij, whose solo album Half-Light was #2 in 2017) had left the band, and I was letting that fact cloud my enjoyment of what lead singer/songwriter Ezra Koenig had been able to put together on his own. It was too catchy, too poppy, too giddy, and it didn’t offer enough diversity upon first listens. But over time, I kept reaching back for it, without really knowing why. Then, somewhere around the 10th time through the album, I realized I knew all the songs, I would happily sing along to most of it, and I had nothing but positive feelings about the album. It had somehow turned a corner in my head, and then never looked back.

The first three Vampire Weekend albums were collaborative efforts between Koenig and Rostam, and they were all fantastic (their 2nd album, Contra appeared at #6 in 2010 and Modern Vampires of the City appeared at #3 back in 2013). When Rostam left the band, it clearly hit Koenig hard, as there was a six year gap between when their previous album came out and this new one. But the wait has proven worth it.

Nearly exactly like Bon Iver (discussed back at #9), Vampire Weekend’s first four albums have been unbelievably good. Like Bon Iver, their first album came out in 2008, and their most recent fourth album came out in 2019. Both bands have produced a fantastic, if limited, body of amazing music in that time. Just four albums, in 12 years time. This isn’t scattershot, push a bunch of stuff out there and see what sticks. Instead, this is studied, worked and reworked music, signs of an artist / group of artists never being satisfied with their work, and not knowing exactly when to stop. It makes you wonder: how much would you like the work if they’d stopped working on it five months prior? What about five months after? Somehow, they find that magic formula and release it just when it strikes gold.

Back on Christmas Day, a podcast that I love called Song Exploder released an episode featuring Koenig, talking about the making of the song “Harmony Hall”. I recommend giving it (and every other episode of the podcast) a listen, because it provides so much insight into the struggle, joy, pain, and elation that goes into writing music, as spoken by the artists themselves. Without listening to it, I never would have paid attention to the lyrics of the song:

Anger wants a voice, voices wanna sing
Singers harmonize 'til they can't hear anything
I thought that I was free from all that questionin'
But every time a problem ends, another one begins

It’s actually a quite dark song. The main line of the song, “I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die,” is actually a reprise of that line from a previous Vampire Weekend song, “Finger Back” from Modern Vampires of the City. So much is said in that sentence: I’m not depressed or sad enough to kill myself, but I really don’t like how my life is currently. It’s a problem I think most everyone can relate to, and it’s that kind of turn of phrase that Vampire Weekend, and Koenig in particular, is great at.

Father of the Bride is not your typical Vampire Weekend album. But Vampire Weekend is no longer your typical Vampire Weekend. I’m glad Koenig was able to move on in such a great way, after his critically successful third album resulted in the departure of his songwriting partner. I’m anxious to see where they both head next.

__________________________________________

4. Two Hands + U.F.O.F. by Big Thief
5. Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten
6. I Am Easy to Find by The National
7. 5 + 7 by Sault
8. Giants of All Sizes by Elbow
9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#4 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Big Thief

Two Hands + U.F.O.F. by Big Thief

Sometimes it takes me a while to get into a band that you would otherwise think would be right up my alley. Big Thief, here at #4 with yet another double-album release in 2019 (if you’re counting at home, that‘s four total artists that each released two albums in 2019 and appeared here on the Top 31: Sault, TR/ST, Foals, and now Big Thief), are exactly that. They have all the right pieces and parts: lead female singer with a crackling voice, jangly and unmistakably “indie” guitars, and they hail from Brooklyn, New York. And yet, it took them releasing two utterly amazing albums in one year for me to sit up and pay attention.

The quartet has a traditional mix of guitar (Buck Meek), bass (Max Oleartchik), drums (James Krivchenia), and vocals (Adrianne Lenker, who also plays guitar). The last time we heard from Big Thief on the Top 31, we were listening to their 2nd album, Capacity, all the way back at #23 in 2017. Fast forward to right now, and U.F.O.F. was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the Grammys (it didn’t win).

Like the Recording Academy, I no longer misunderstand the band, and I can finally claim to be a true fan, excited to pass on that love to you. I admit I’ve not been able to parse Lenker’s lyrics (I don’t hear lyrics in songs, usually), but her singing, often doubled up on herself, is pushed forward in the mix, all the way to the fore, so close to your ears you can feel her breath. Meek’s guitar work is at times delicate and finger-picked, providing a metronomic beat that provides a bed for Lenker to lie down upon. Krivchenia’s drum kit sounds reserved, and small, preferring tight percussion to elaborate solos that reminds me of Paul Banwatt’s drumming for Rural Alberta Advantage.

It’s impossible for me to tell you which of these two albums is better than the other. They both hit different buttons for me, but I’ve reached for both equally since they both were released. You’re just going to have to listen to them both yourself and report back which one you prefer.

PS — I’m really peeved that the band hasn’t released any proper videos for any of the songs from either of these albums. This dumb audio-only clip will have to do.

__________________________________________

5. Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten
6. I Am Easy to Find by The National
7. 5 + 7 by Sault
8. Giants of All Sizes by Elbow
9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#5 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Sharon Van Etten

Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten

It took me a little while to warm up to Sharon Van Etten. Her first two albums came out in 2009 and 2010, and I know I heard a song or two off of them at that time, but her music just wasn’t my bag. In the beginning, the Top 31 was a lot more subconsciously, and therefore outwardly, male-centric. But my listening habits have changed quite a bit over the last 11 years. When Van Etten’s Aaron Dessner-produced third album, Tramp, came out in 2012, things started to snap into place around here. That album was at #13 back in 2012. She followed that up pretty quickly with Are We There, which hit the Top 31 all the way up at #4 in 2014.

And then there was nothing. For five long years, Etten didn’t release another album, concentrating instead on acting (she starred in the Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (Rostam’s brother) Netflix series “OA”, which ran from 2016-2019) and starting a family (she had her first child, a son, in 2017). It started to feel as if the singing career was over for her, and who can blame her with a 2-year old and a lucrative acting gig. But turns out it was just a break, because on January 18, 2019 she released the fantastic Remind Me Tomorrow.

According to Wikipedia, Van Etten wrote the album while she “was pregnant with her first child, attending school to obtain a degree in psychology and starring in the Netflix series The OA (2016) and making a cameo in Twin Peaks (2017).” With so much going on, she seems to have done the impossible: start a family, earn a college degree and do series acting all while putting together one hell of a banging record.

Remind Me Tomorrow is not like Van Etten’s other albums. This isn’t a slow dirge (I mean that nicely). These songs are rock n’ roll, pure and simple. This is Van Etten taking the reins from PJ Harvey, and from Patti Smith before her. In addition to the wonderful “Comeback Kid” shown in the totally 80s video above, check out these other videos and you’ll hear what I’m talking about:

• No One’s Easy to Love
• Seventeen
• Jupiter 4

Yes, “Jupiter 4” is slow. But “No One” and “Seventeen” are not, and she’s blowing up everything she used to represent. It feels as if she’s not only expanded what she’s capable of (in music and in real life), but she’s also purposefully stepping away from where she was on her earlier albums. These are not songs of sadness and lamenting and longing, which became her calling card on those earlier albums. The songs on Remind Me Tomorrow are about rebirth, reestablishing herself as something to be reckoned with. This is Van Etten’s world, and I’m so glad she’s allowed us to live in it.

__________________________________________

6. I Am Easy to Find by The National
7. 5 + 7 by Sault
8. Giants of All Sizes by Elbow
9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#6 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — The National

I Am Easy to Find by The National

Like my 2018 top 10, the top 10 of 2019 is chock full of former #1 artists, still out there producing stellar, boundary-pushing music. Like Elbow and Bon Iver, The National have consistently been in the top 10 with every release they’ve had during the life of The Bacon Review Top 31. It’s quite easy to argue that The National’s output has somehow gotten better with each release, despite having been #1 back in 2010, with High Violet. Their 2013 release, Trouble Will Find Me, was #2 to Phosphorescent’s all-time great album Muchacho, and their 2017 release, Sleep Well Beast, was #4, behind stellar output from Arcade Fire, Rostam, and Elbow. Yes, The National‘s output has gotten better with time, but the competition has gotten even better than that.

I Am Easy to Find, the eighth full-length album the band has released in their 21-year history, is yet another fantastic National album. It also marks a distinct departure for the band, veering off into territory they’ve never been in before. For starters, they’ve brought in a number of co- and lead vocalists to pair up with Matt Berninger, who embodies roughly half of the band’s lyrical output (with his wife Carin Besser) and their singular, deep-voiced lead singer. Gail Ann Dorsey, David Bowie’s long-time bassist and backing singer, takes the lead vocals from him halfway through the album’s opening song, “You Had Your Soul With You.” By the time you get through the all 63 minutes of the album, you’ve also heard Lisa Hannigan, Mina Tindle, Kate Stables, Sharon Van Etten, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus all take turns at the mic. It’s unexpected at every point of departure, and it works so well.

In addition to the beautiful music, the band also teamed up with Miranda July’s husband, filmmaker Mike Mills (did you see “Thumbsucker?”), to collaborate on not only the crafting of the album but the making of a 25-minute film starring Alicia Vikander (from “Ex Machina”). The film is quite moving, having Vikander portray the full life of a person, from baby to old age. The video above, for the quietly lovely “Light Years,” shows a condensed version of the film. Watch that, and then go watch the full thing.

At its core, The National continues to be Berninger and brothers Dessner (Aaron and Bryce) and Devendorf (Bryan and Scott). 2019 was a particularly busy year for the band. In addition to releasing the new album and film and touring around that new release:

• the band participated in a podcast about them: Coffee & Flowers, “a long-form examination of the Grammy-winning band’s music, going one album per season, one track per episode.”
• they released a cassette-based live album in a way only The National could: Juicy Sonic Magic was recorded over two nights at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, California, in a style known as “The Mike Millard Method” — Mike was a famous bootlegger who went so far as to sneak recording equipment into shows in a wheelchair he didn’t medically need.
• Bryce Dessner wrote the score for the great Netflix movie The Two Popes
• Matt Berninger appeared and sang in (with Phoebe Bridgers) the rather terrible movie version of Zach Galifianakis’s long-running internet show “Between Two Ferns”

I Am Easy to Find is not your typical National album, in all the right ways. If you’re not a fan of the band, this may be your best chance at getting in on something new, different, and great without it feeling too much like a National record. And if you are a National fan? What the hell are you doing, sitting here reading this article, rather than listening to the album?

__________________________________________

7. 5 + 7 by Sault
8. Giants of All Sizes by Elbow
9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#7 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Sault

5 + 7 by Sault

Very little is known about Sault and the two amazing albums they released in 2019, 5 in April and 7 in September. The “band” doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page, which seems impossible here in 2020. What I can tell you is that these two albums are amazing, and you should drop everything to listen to them right now. I suspect for most people reading this (which is not very many of people, admittedly) this will likely be your first exposure to the band, and that is exactly why I create the Top 31 every year. I love turning people onto new music.

I’ve been able to piece a bit together about Sault from various other sources. There’s an article in The Guardian that tells me that most likely Sault is made up of at least three core individuals: Dean Josiah Cover (aka Inflo, who teamed up with Danger Mouse to produce Michael Kiwanuka’s self titled album listed at #10 this year); British soul singer Cleo Sol as one of the vocalists; and Chicago-based rapper Kid Sister as another. But these are all just educated guesses.

These albums appear here due to what I call the “KEXP influence.” If you’re unaware, KEXP is the best radio station on the planet, they’re based right here in Seattle, and they play stellar music 24/7. Sault got lots of airplay this year on the station, so much so that John “in the Morning” Richards, the weekday morning DJ and associate music director at the station, ranked 5 his #1 album of the year.

These albums blend soul, funk, psychedelic and pop hooks in such a way that you can’t help but move in your seat. At times, I can hear a tUnE-yArDs influence. At others, like in the song “Something’s in the Air” above, I hear hints of Lemon Jelly. Each song packs a punch, so I recommend listening all the way through both albums at your next available moment. Hopefully we’ll learn more about the band soon. I do admire their ability to remain anonymous, as it’s something that seems nearly impossible to do in today’s day and age. They’ve cracked the code, and somehow released two phenomenal albums without giving anything up about themselves. I can’t wait for the potential 9, 11, and 13 to follow.

Lastly — I’m sorry for the non-video video. Unfortunately, the “band” hasn’t put out any real music videos. C’est la vie.

__________________________________________

8. Giants of All Sizes by Elbow
9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#8 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Elbow

Giants of All Sizes by Elbow

From one former #1 (Bon Iver, just seen at #9) to another, this time the venerable British masters Elbow. Unlike Bon Iver, I did not learn about Elbow until well into their musical careers, picking them up on the heels of their fantastic fourth album, 2008’s The Seldom Seen Kid. Every album they’ve released since then has appeared on the Top 31. Even though this new one, their eighth, is appearing in the lofty slot of #8 in this year’s Top 31, that represents a downward slide from all previous Top 31 appearances: Build a Rocket Boys! was #5 in 2011, The Takeoff and Landing of Everything just missed being #1 in 2014, and they quickly recovered with their #1 album Little Fictions in 2017. An outstanding showing overall.

Giants of All Sizes is a bit different from previous efforts, and that may account for their slip here in 2019. Little Fictions took the #1 spot based on its connection to my personal life that year. It featured songs that felt like they were speaking directly to me. Giants of All Sizes evokes a wide variety of new styles and influences for the band, but it doesn’t have that same feeling of connectedness for me. The first time you hear Elbow, your instinct is to compare them to Peter Gabriel, as lead singer Guy Garvey’s voice is Gabriel’s vocal doppelgänger. On top of that, the band’s production sits squarely in the same neighborhood as Gabriel’s later work (1986’s So and after). Outside of that, Giants sounds a bit like The Beatles at times (check out “”).

The lyrics of this album are decidedly darker than past albums — a purposeful slant, as three key figures in the band’s orbit all died during the production of the album (including Garvey’s father). But that doesn’t diminish the sweeping orchestral arrangements and slow builds, which have become Elbow’s signature over their 23 years of existence. If you’ve not listened to Elbow in the past, pick a spot anywhere and dive in. Giants is a perfectly fine spot to get your first taste, but be sure to move onto any of the last three albums. Elbow is consistently great, something that’s surprisingly hard to say about a lot of artists these days.

__________________________________________

9. i,i by Bon Iver
10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#9 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Bon Iver

i,i by Bon Iver

Justin Vernon, the driving force behind Bon Iver, has been a personal favorite of mine since his debut album For Emma, Forever Ago was released back in 2007. Every one of his releases has been on the Top 31 since the list’s inception (his Blood Bank EP was #17 in 2009, the self-titled Bon Iver was #6 in 2011, and his 2016 album, 22, A Million, was at the top of the list that year and is most definitely in my top 30-50 albums of all time, but I’ve never put that list to paper).

i,i, his fourth full-length album, is yet another beautiful feather in Vernon’s cap. With its release, Bon Iver has reached potential “greatest band” status according to my and my good friend Morgan’s self-imposed rule that governs such things: an artist must have four top-rated albums to qualify for such vaunted categorization. The fact that it’s his first four albums is a feat rarely achieved in music at any time, let alone in modern day. In trying to think of another band’s initial four albums that can be rated in the same way, my mind has to go all the way back to Led Zeppelin I-IV to find a similar stretch of greatness. Nearly unprecedented. As I’m writing this, I’m probably going to regret ranking i,i at #9. Bon Iver’s albums tend to surprise me in their longevity. I may have listened to other bands’ output more in 2019, but it’s probably i,i that I’ll be reaching for regularly in five years time.

The album features an impressive list of collaborators. The band itself has a larger roster than on previous albums: Justin Vernon on vocals, keyboards, guitar; Sean Carey on drums, keyboards, vocals; Matthew McCaughan on drums, vocals; Michael Lewis on bass, saxophone, keyboards, vocals; Andrew Fitzpatrick on guitar, keyboards, vocals; and Jenn Wasner on guitar, vocals. Additionally, James Blake, Aaron Dessner, and Bruce Hornsby all feature prominently across the album.

The songs themselves feel in keeping with 22, a million, but more deconstructed, as if the band picked up the blips, bloops, and blorks from the proverbial cutting room floor and reassembled them into a compelling whole. “Hey, Ma” is the highlight of the production, followed quickly by “U (Man Like)”. Taken out of context, these two songs feel like they could easily have come from a long-lost Bruce Hornsby album. I would have never in a million years drawn a line from Hornsby (he of “The Way It Is” with his band The Range) to Iver, if not for the fact that Hornsby is actually on this album. Knowing that fact, it’s impossible to not see his influence, in the best way possible.

I’m blown away by Vernon’s consistency and departures across his four albums. If you were a fan of 22, a million then you’ll love this new Bon Iver album. Check it out as soon as you can.

__________________________________________

10. Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#10 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Michael Kiwanuka

Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka

We’ve broken into the top 10! British singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka barely makes the cut with his fantastic self-titled third album, Kiwanuka. You may or may not know his name, but you likely know at least one of his songs. Back in 2017, “Cold Little Heart,” from 2016’s Love & Hate (which did not make the Top 31 that year, in retrospect a fairly large oversight, but I never heard the album that year) became the theme song for the first season of the wildly popular HBO show “Big Little Lies.” (Related, that song’s video is well worth watching, as it stars then up-and-coming but now big-time actor LaKeith Stanfield.)

Kiwanuka’s music is approachable from any side, and feels like it was created for the widest acceptance from anyone 30 years or older. So, naturally, I love it. It’s a slightly odd thing to go through an album and think “Well that was perfectly acceptable. Not a damn thing was controversial, difficult, or seemingly pushed any buttons (or boundaries).” The album was produced by Inflo (more from him later in the Top 31) and Danger Mouse (whose own 2019 album, Lux Prima, created in conjunction with Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, just barely missed the cut-off for the Top 31). That’s a pedigree behind the music that few artists can claim, and it becomes clear why Kiwanuka is killing it.

In addition to “Hero,” shown in the video above, there are a few other stand-outs on the album. Again: something for everyone. Be sure to check out the other two videos from the album, as Kiwanuka not only has a great audio-production team behind him, but his video-production connections appear to be just as stellar: “Money” and the very very catchy “You Ain’t the Problem.” The whole album is easily consumed and easy to love. Eat it up.

__________________________________________

11. The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST
12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#11 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — TR/ST

The Destroyer (Parts 1 + 2) by TR/ST

Here’s another two-part album, each part released on a different date within 2019, similar to the Foals albums featured at #15. TR/ST, a musical “project” headed up by Canadian Robert Alfons, released The Destroyer (Part 1) in April, followed up by (Part 2) in November.

These albums are similar to the Foals albums only in release format. Alfons stays in the same general vicinity of goth-pop electronic music that Billie Eilish resides in, but with a hefty helping of deep dark and sultry vocals. The closest modern comparison I can make to TR/ST is somewhere in the Majical Cloudz / Alt-J realm, both of whom have appeared on the Top 31 a combined numerous times. Outside of that, you’d have to go back a lot further for true comparisons; think Bauhaus, or maybe Depeche Mode.

Those connections are probably why I love it so much. Goth music was where my head was mostly at back in the 90s, and The Destroyer (Part 2) hits on all those lovely, drippy black tones for me. “Iris,” featured in the video above, is the first song I heard the band (via the always-great and Seattle’s own KEXP 90.3 FM), and it was love at first listen. The rest of (Part 2) doesn’t disappoint. It’s worth noting that (Part 1) doesn’t evoke that same feeling in me, but it’s nonetheless a great album. I recommend starting with (Part 2) and then working your way backwards.

__________________________________________

12. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish
13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#12 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Billie Eilish

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish

From one young pop phenom at #13 to an even younger, even more popular phenom at #12, Billie Eilish and her stellar debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? I’m completely lost at where to start in this review, as there’s so much to say. Eilish, at only 18 as of this writing, has been releasing extremely-popular music since she was 14. “Ocean Eyes,” the song she released in 2016, has been played on YouTube 200 million times. Since then, Eilish, with her 22-year-old brother Finneas as producer, has been releasing hit after hit.

Her debut album, here at #12, is chockablock with ear worms. Falling on the indie-goth side of the pop spectrum, Eilish’s songs demonstrate a level of maturity and depth that even some 30-something artists can’t evoke. Her lyrics are full of metaphor and innuendo, painting the picture of someone who’s already lived a full life. Then you remember they’re the words of a (when written) 14, 15, or 16-year old home-schooled girl put to music she and her 18, 19, or 20-year old brother cooked up in Pro Tools in their small bedroom-based studios.

The amazing songs are only part of the equation. Even more outstanding is her command of the promotion and consumption of her music. For starters, look at the YouTube output for the songs on this album:

• “lovely” with R&B artist Khalid, directed by Taylor Cohen and Matty Peacock
• “you should see me in a crown” in both a Takeshi Murakami-directed animated version and a live-action vertical video version, directed by Eilish, that has her covered in live spiders
• “when the party’s over” (shown above), a crazy-amazing song with a crazy-amazing video directed by Carlos López Estrada, who also directed Father John Misty’s fantastic video for “Mr. Tillman,” featured at #26 last year. Be sure to watch the behind-the-scenes from the Eilish video, too.
• “bury a friend” which was directed by Michael Chaves
• “bad guy” in both normal version, directed by Dave Meyers, in which she can be seen rolling around in a Takeshi Murakami smiley-flower outfit, and vertical version that shows the outtakes of the normal version
• “all the good girls go to hell,” directed by Rich Lee, which starts with a clip also shown in “bury a friend” above and takes it in a completely different direction
• and finally, “xanny,” directed by Eilish herself

That’s ten separate independently-produced videos for 50% of the songs on the album. As I put together this list, I’m often hard-pressed to find more than one, maybe two, videos per album. Outside of the music videos, Eilish has had long-standing relationship with Apple Music (culminating in a lovely long-form holiday commercial from last year). On top of that, Eilish has famously done an interview with Vanity Faire magazine three times, each a year apart, answering the same questions and reminiscing about where she’s come from and where she’s going. That is huge foresight by VF.

If you’ve only heard Eilish’s name, you must hear the music. Set aside all your preconceptions and just listen. You will not be disappointed.

__________________________________________

13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#13 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — King Princess

Cheap Queen by King Princess

This next artist on the Top 31 first came to me as a suggestion from a friend (hi Tim!) while in the midst of creating last year’s countdown. At the time, Mikaela Mullaney Straus, otherwise known by the name King Princess, had only released a great single and an EP, which disqualified her from being featured that year. But this year, she continued down her path to greatness by releasing the wonderful album Cheap Queen.

Straus first won me over with her song “Pussy is God” which is about exactly what you think it’s about. This was my first taste of what she could do, and I loved it. It was fun and sexy, the video is irreverent, and she lays everything out for you right there. That was November 2018. Fast forward to January 2020, and Sraus’s full-length debut, Cheap Queen, has been out now for three months, and she’s already performed as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

She grew up in Brooklyn, and her direct yet playful style feels very “east coast” to my west coast ears. Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, her paternal great-great-grandparents died on the Titanic. She only turned 21 back in December, and is already near the top of the world. Her music is a bit slow compared to other indie pop darlings I’ve been drawn to, but it goes well with Straus’s lower-register, sultry voice. Full of catchy hooks, Cheap Queen’s main storyline seems to be all about break up and recovery. How personally true that is for her is unknown to me, but it makes for a good foundation upon which to layer some music.

I anticipate great things from Straus. So far she’s proven that she’s not a one-hit wonder. Here’s to hoping she’s not a one-album wonder, either.

__________________________________________

14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#14 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Thom Yorke

Anima by Thom Yorke

Let’s start this review by stating the obvious: Radiohead is my #1 favorite band of all time. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying their albums since 1995’s The Bends, and if you’re counting (I always am), that’s 25 years of bias. So please take this “review” with a grain of salt.

Whew, ok, glad I got that off my chest. Now on to the absolutely stellar album from Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke. Anima is Yorke’s fourth solo album, including his 2018 soundtrack to the movie “Suspiria” (#22 that year). In addition to that, Yorke (solo and with his bands Radiohead and Atom for Peace) has appeared on the Top 31 many many many many many times. His solo albums don’t tend to veer too far off the path of what Radiohead does as a band, but I think it’s safe to say that Yorke’s bandmates add warmth to his otherwise cold, distant, disconnected electronic music.

Cold, disconnected music is not a bad thing (obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t love Yorke and Radiohead so much), and Yorke knows how to exploit those dark emotions in ways unlike anyone else out there. Whereas greats like Bowie and Prince would take cues from shifts in the musical landscape and perfect it, Yorke has found his niche and stays firmly planted there, never straying. He is a genre unto himself, wholly non-categorizable.

He is also a master of the visual form. For this release, he worked with one of my favorite directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, to create a 15 minute short film, or long form music video, if you will. The video is only viewable on Netflix, but I do highly recommend watching it if you have a subscription and 15 minutes to spare. Additionally, he released the above animated video, for the song “Last I Heard (…He Was Circling The Drain).” I devoured every second of it when it came out.

By now you know who Thom Yorke and Radiohead are, and you know if you like him. This album is not going to change your opinion of him in the slightest. Chances are, if you’re a fan, then you’ve already heard it. In fact, if you’re surprised to hear that Yorke released an album in 2019, I’d love to hear how you remained in the dark for so long!

__________________________________________

15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#15 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Foals

Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals

We’re officially into the top half of the 2019 Top 31, and it’s with a new spin on what qualifies as an “album”. I’ve always been ok with putting double albums on the Top 31 (just look at DJ Shadow back at #21). But the latest from Foals, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost was released in two distinct parts, months apart from each other. Does that mean it’s now two albums, and should therefore be considered separately? Wikipedia thinks so. But I’m not as strict as the Wikipedia community, and I’ve decided that, yes, both parts of the album can qualify as one “album”. In fact, I’d go so far as to say multiple releases by the same artist in the same year can qualify as a single “album” as it pertains to the Top 31. I guess that means I’m no longer charting albums, but instead the entirety of output from an artist within a single year. So be it. It won’t be the last time we encounter this within this Top 31, either.

Foals are an exceedingly popular band that you’ve never heard of They’ve been around since 2005. They hail from Oxford, England (where another band you’ve never heard of called Radiohead also hail from). And they’ve only released five albums in that time (or six, if you count Everything as two albums), nearly all to great acclaim — in England. They just haven’t had the promotion and adoration here that they’ve experienced in their home country.

While I’ve heard of the Foals name for a few years now, I can’t say I’ve ever actively listened to them before 2019. And I’m so glad I did. Part 1 of Everything is really what won me over, and specifically the song “Exits,” which is featured in the above video (starring Isaac Hempstead-Wright, aka Bran Stark). It’s one hell of a banger. This song is quite typical, I’ve found, of the band’s sound in general. It’s a very English sound. Good use of keyboards, guitars, swelling crescendos, evocative of bands that I used to love eons ago, like Placebo or, more currently, Elbow (when they’re particularly loud). Lead singer Yannis Philippakis’s voice is on the higher register, but it’s always projected fully — not dainty and removed, but entirely present and loud, but never screechy.

The band also appears to have a bit of humor as well. The name of these albums was joyously cribbed from the memific Nintendo Wii ’Quit Screen’ message: “Anything not saved will be lost.” Regardless of its source, that’s a pretty fun thing to name your album after.

These albums slay. There’s just no other way to put it. Put both of them on, back to back, and get fully immersed in what the band has to offer. I’m compelled (but have yet to do so) to listen to their older work. I’ll be sure to report back once I do.

__________________________________________

16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#16 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Beirut

Gallipoli by Beirut

Here we are again with yet another predictable pick on the 2019 Bacon Top 31. Beirut, led by impresario Zach Condon, are as close to “worldwide indie rock” as you’ll ever get. I’ve been a fan of the band ever since their debut in 2006. In that time, the band has only released five LPs, only one of which ended up on the Top 31, 2011’s The Rip Tide (#29 that year). Prior to that, a set of fantastic EPs titled March of the Zapotec/Holland was #8 on my first-ever Top 31, in 2009.

Condon most often plays trumpet and sings in a melodic, vibrato-tinged and beautiful voice. The songs he writes and the band performs often involve a full horn section and strings, mixed with a handful of unexpected and dissonant sounds that coalesce into song after gorgeous song. When I first saw Condon and the band perform, way back on their first tour in 2006, Condon was only 19 years old and bothered by the fact that, due to archaic Washington-state law, he was not allowed to spend time hanging out in the Crocodile bar before or after the show due to his age. He was precocious and difficult, but who can blame him. The kid must have been hearing that he was a musical genius for many years leading up to that tour, and that was only ever going to give him a big head about who he is and what he’s owed.

This new album, Gallipoli, his fifth, has no surprises. Much like the Andrew Bird album from yesterday, this is predictably Beirut, and therefore predictably good. If you’ve not heard Beirut before, I suggest going all the way back to the beginning, to 2006’s Gulag Orkestar, and then work your way forward. Despite the 13 years separating that first album from this newest one, the music itself stands free of time, is of a time outside of yesterday, today, or tomorrow. And that’s what makes it so great.

__________________________________________

17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#17 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Andrew Bird

My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird

You know I like Andrew Bird. If you didn’t already know, you could have probably guessed. His music is perfectly tailored to my interests: he plays violin (which I played in my younger years) and uses hefty portions of whimsy, whistling and wit to bring all his music to life. I’m pretty sure if you summarized any musical artist as “full of whimsy, whistling and wit” I’d be there in a flash.

“I think you’re getting too predictable,” my lovely wife tells me as she sees me preparing this review. “I have surprises coming, I promise!” But this album, Andrew Bird’s perfectly listenable 12th LP, My Finest Work Yet, is certainly no surprise. And yes, the album is predictable, in both the content on the LP as well as the fact that it lives here in the Top 31. I don’t relish creating a predictable list — I push against it as much as I can, as it’s one of my fears about putting together an annual list — but some level of predictability is unavoidable.

Allow me to expand on that thought for a minute. I strive to listen to new things, to stretch myself and my tastes, but I also like what I like. This list is not “Royal’s list of new bands and albums that you’ve never heard before.” It’s the Bacon Review Top 31 albums of the year. I do take recommendations for things to listen to from people all the time, and there are always things I’ve missed that end up on the list because I heard about it from a friend (see my review of Sufjan Stevens’ Age of Adz, #3 in 2010). In the end, it’s only my personal likes and dislikes that make up the list. I hold no particular musical pedigree, no reason you should value my opinions over your own or someone else’s. But I’m full of opinions, and I like to write, so here we are.

Once again, we’re reading about another Andrew Bird album. Twice before he’s appeared on the Bacon Top 31, first with Noble Beast at #22 in 2009, and then the phenomenal Are You Serious hit #5 in 2016. Bird’s latest, titled My Finest Work Yet, is most certainly not that. And he knows it. “If you really break down what I’m saying, it’s not quite as arrogant as it sounds,” Bird told Apple Music. “I figured people will find it funny, and if they don’t get it, then it’s the power of suggestion.” I fall in the former camp, and think the title is exactly everything it should be, just like the man who said it.

If you’re like me and you like Andrew Bird, you will find nothing outlandish or difficult about this album. It’s the most typical Andrew Bird album you’ll find. It’s not Are You Serious, but it’s better than the five other albums he’s released that didn’t make the Top 31since I’ve been making it.

__________________________________________

18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#18 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Great Grandpa

Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa

One thing I love about writing these articles are the pleasant surprises I unearth in researching the bands I feature. For instance, I’ve liked Great Grandpa, the band whose sophomore album, Four of Arrows, landed at #18, for a few months now. But only today did I discover that they’re from Seattle (the city I, too, call home). If I’d given it any thought before today, I probably would have predicted this, as they have a distinctly indie-Seattle sound. Four of Arrows, the only Great Grandpa album I’ve heard, has a foundation similar to older Modest Mouse. Rough-around-the-edges production and pop rock sensibilities abound.

What really drew me to Great Grandpa, though, is the voice of lead singer Alex Menne. Her voice, loud and unrefined, cracks at the edges, evocative of Katie Crutchfield, of Waxahatchee, in her most strained moments. Beyond Menne, the heart of Great Grandpa are husband and wife Carrie and Pat Goodwin, who play bass and guitar respectively, and write the bulk of the band’s output. Together, the three of them, along with Dylan Hanwright on second guitar and Cam Laflam on drums, the quintet fills an indie-rock void in Seattle that I hadn’t realized even existed until now.

“Digger,” shown in the video above, is my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are unapproachable — more power to you if you can figure them out. But the video is another story. It’s impossible to talk about the video without revealing too much, so all I’m going to say is: watch the video in full. It will move you in ways you don’t expect, and not only because of the stellar soundtrack.

While this is only the 2nd album from Great Grandpa, I suspect the best is yet to come. Four of Arrows is a good effort, but this is a young band with lots of potential. Keep an eye out for the future.

__________________________________________

19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#19 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Aldous Harding

Designer by Aldous Harding

Sometimes you love the music, and sometimes you love the artist. With Aldous Harding, the singer/songwriter behind the album here at #19, it’s more the latter than the former. Don’t get me wrong, I do like Harding’s music quite a bit. But it’s the look, the creativity, the humor behind the New Zealander’s music that really sold me.

Watch the video above, as this is exactly how I first heard of Aldous Harding. It’s innocent enough at first, with the 30-ish Harding, whose real name is Hannah Sian Topp, doing a very stilted minimal twist in a womb-like space. But as you watch her movements, or, rather, move away from the movements and start studying the space around her, you see the ridiculous hat and asymmetrical pilgrim garb and you start to wonder about what you’re seeing. The video cuts to a full-body shot, and you see she’s wearing bizzare platform cloth-wrapped boots, and her dance gets slightly more strange. The dancing continues unabated, and eventually you see the full, phallic height of the hat. Just after minute three of this tame insanity, the wheels fall off of the bus, or, rather, the hat falls off of her head, revealing a rather frightening blue face that’s apparently been attached to the top of Harding’s head this whole time, covered up by the hat. What the hell. Shortly thereafter, the hat magically reappears, and the music comes to an abrupt halt. With 40 seconds left, the music kicks back in and Harding has gone through a complete wardrobe change, giddily dancing with maracas. The video ends, and you’re left trying to sort out everything you’ve just seen.

And that’s why I love Harding. She is clearly a free soul, does whatever the hell she wants, and could care less what you or anyone else thinks. The two other videos she’s released for Designer, her third album, are no less bizarre. “Fixture Picture” has her playing a guitar in a field and doing her strange controlled twist in and around her “band”. “Zoo Eyes” has her alternating between exaggerated clown-like makeup and black pixelated face makeup. This third video feels the most self-consciously weird, purposefully presenting nonsensical imagery to accompany Harding’s quiet, Joni-Mitchell-like songwork. That’s where she loses me a little — it seems less “I like to be weird because I like to be weird” and more “I think this will be weird so I’m going to do that,” if that makes sense.

Be that as it may, I do recommend this album as well. It’s quiet, so makes for a good Sunday morning, and well-constructed. It lacks dynamism, but that works to its advantage. Give it a listen, or, more importantly, watch the videos, and fall in love just as I have.

__________________________________________

20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#20 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Lana Del Rey

Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey

I’m as surprised as you are that I’m putting a Lana Del Rey album on the Top 31. But believe me, this is one of the best albums of the year! You can blame Cat Power for putting Del Rey on my radar, with the wonderful duet “Woman” from her top 10 2018 album Wanderer (#7 that year). Norman Fucking Rockwell!, her sixth release including her 2010 self-titled debut, is the first album of Del Rey’s that I’ve paid any attention to, and I’m so glad I did.

Del Rey is fully embedded in the “sadcore” side of alternative rock (of which Cat Power is the “queen”), and this album does not betray that notion. It’s slow, depressing, and dark, but it doesn’t ever fall into self-loathing or goth (which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing).

Del Rey, whose real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, has always created music in this vein, with a particular “cinematic” quality to it. The video above, titled “Norman Fucking Rockwell,” takes that to its logical conclusion, turning three of the songs on the album into a 14-minute short film, less a music video and more a parable. It‘s well worth watching the whole thing.

If you’ve not yet heard this album, don’t let whatever your brain associates with the name Lana Del Rey discolor your opinion of it. Put it on, close your eyes, and hear it for what it is: a beautiful, perfectly executed album.

__________________________________________

21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s

#21 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — DJ Shadow

Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow

It’s hard to believe that, despite having released his first album in 1996, Our Pathetic Age, DJ Shadow’s double-album epic from this year, is only his sixth studio album. Each of those six albums have been fantastic, starting with the groundbreaking Endtroducing....., the album that woke everyone to the potential of sampling and songbuilding. Since that seminal release, Shadow, whose real name is Josh Davis, has been building soundscapes and championing underground, has-been, and up-and-coming hip hop artists with great aplomb.

Our Pathetic Age is not a perfect album, but as it’s a double-length LP, it’s easy to set aside the imperfect to let the stellar shine. The album is split into two distinct halves, the first of which is fully instrumental, and the second the more predictable Shadow-type album. The Mountain Will Fall, Shadow’s 2016 album (#9 that year), saw him doubling down on his ability to take his great ear for beats and cadence and pairing that with well-known hip hop artists like Run the Jewels. RTJ reappears on the second half of Our Pathetic Age, along with a litany of other big hip hop names, such as Nas, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Gift of Gab and Leteef the Truthspeaker.

The video above, for “Rocket Fuel,” has Shadow teaming up with De La Soul. It’s a great song, and an even better video (directed by Sam Pilling, who also directed the great video I featured in my 2016 The Mountain Will Fall review). The song’s lyrics are top of the line, as written by the De La Soul crew. “People wanna know where Mase, Pos, and Dave went” goes the song. “Still here, still in your ear.” Later on in the song, the second verse has a mind-blowing rhyme that I can’t get out of my head:

Aced all quizzes, A-plussed the final
Vocals we align, we move it all simul-
-taneously over joints we rock
We earned thirty years, so you can say that we got
Three turns, live off the board, unlike you and your chessmen
We install doubt in you and your yes-men

That rhyming of “final” with the first two syllables of “simultaneously” and managing to keep the rhyme going is so so great. Check out this new album by DJ Shadow. You can set the first half aside, I won’t think anything less of you. But pay attention to the second half. It’s as great as anything Shadow has released to date, and you won’t be disappointed.

__________________________________________

22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

Subscribe to the 2019 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2018 Top 31s